Heat Dissipation Assembly, Connector Assembly and Shielding Shell

Abstract

A heat dissipation assembly includes a liquid-cooling module including a liquid-cooling plate, a bottom surface of the liquid-cooling plate has a locking structure, and an air-cooling module including a plurality of heat dissipation fins. A top surface of each of the plurality of heat dissipation fins is welded to the bottom surface of the liquid-cooling plate. The locking structure engages a locking spring piece on a side wall of a shielding shell of a connector to lock the heat dissipation assembly to the shielding shell. When the heat dissipation assembly is locked onto the shielding shell, a bottom of the air-cooling module protrudes into the shielding shell through an opening in a top wall of the shielding shell to make thermal contact with a mating connector inserted into the shielding shell.

1 . A heat dissipation assembly, comprising:
 a liquid-cooling module including a liquid-cooling plate, a bottom surface of the liquid-cooling plate has a locking structure; and   an air-cooling module including a plurality of heat dissipation fins, a top surface of each of the plurality of heat dissipation fins is welded to the bottom surface of the liquid-cooling plate, the locking structure engages a locking spring piece on a side wall of a shielding shell of a connector to lock the heat dissipation assembly to the shielding shell, and when the heat dissipation assembly is locked onto the shielding shell, a bottom of the air-cooling module protrudes into the shielding shell through an opening in a top wall of the shielding shell to make thermal contact with a mating connector inserted into the shielding shell.   
     
     
         2 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a cooling chamber or cooling passage is formed in the liquid-cooling plate to allow a cooling liquid to flow through, the liquid-cooling plate has a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet communicated with the cooling chamber or cooling passage. 
     
     
         3 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooling plate includes:
 a housing having a cooling chamber or cooling passage accommodating a cooling liquid, and a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet communicated with the cooling chamber or cooling passage; and   a bottom cover covering a bottom of the housing to close a bottom opening of the housing, the locking structure is integrally formed on a bottom surface of the bottom cover.   
     
     
         4 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat dissipation assembly includes a single liquid-cooling module and the air-cooling module is one of a plurality of air-cooling modules, the air-cooling modules are arranged side by side and spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction of the liquid-cooling plate, and when the heat dissipation assembly is locked onto the shielding shell, a plurality of bottoms of the air-cooling modules protrude into a plurality of shielding shells of a plurality of connectors, respectively, to thermally contact a plurality of mating connectors inserted into the shielding shells. 
     
     
         5 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the locking structure comprises a plurality of columns of locking posts arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the liquid-cooling plate, each column of locking posts has a plurality of locking posts spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the liquid-cooling plate. 
     
     
         6 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein a snap slot engaging with the locking spring piece on the side wall of the shielding shell is formed on a side of each locking post, adjacent columns of locking posts respectively engage with a pair of side walls of the shielding shell. 
     
     
         7 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat dissipation fins are stacked together, a bottom portion of each of the heat dissipation fins protrudes into the shielding shell to thermally contact with the mating connector. 
     
     
         8 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the top surfaces of the heat dissipation fins are welded to the bottom surface of the liquid-cooling plate by soldering or ultrasonic welding. 
     
     
         9 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid-cooling plate has a front side and a rear side that are opposite in a longitudinal direction, the heat dissipation assembly further comprises a limit plate detachably installed on the rear side of the liquid-cooling plate, the limit plate rests against a rear end wall of the shielding shell along the longitudinal direction to restrict the heat dissipation assembly to a predetermined installation position. 
     
     
         10 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein, when the heat dissipation assembly is in the predetermined installation position, the locking structure on the heat dissipation assembly engages with the locking spring piece on the shielding shell to lock the heat dissipation assembly to the shielding shell. 
     
     
         11 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein, when the limit plate is removed from the liquid-cooling plate, the heat dissipation assembly can be moved forward along the longitudinal direction relative to the shielding shell from the predetermined installation position to a disassembly position, and when the heat dissipation assembly is in the disassembly position, the locking structure on the heat dissipation assembly separates from the locking spring piece on the shielding shell, allowing the heat dissipation assembly to be removed from the shielding shell. 
     
     
         12 . The heat dissipation assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein a positioning groove is formed on the rear side of the liquid-cooling plate, and an upper part of the limit plate is positioned in the positioning groove and detachably fastened to the rear side of the liquid-cooling plate. 
     
     
         13 . A connector assembly, comprising:
 a connector, including:
 a shielding shell having a top wall and a bottom wall that are opposite in a height direction, a front port and a rear wall that are opposite in a longitudinal direction, and a pair of side walls that are opposite in a transverse direction, an opening is formed in the top wall of the shielding shell, a plurality of locking spring pieces are respectively formed on the pair of side walls of the shielding shell; and 
 a heat dissipation assembly installed on a top of the shielding shell, the heat dissipation assembly includes a liquid-cooling module having a liquid-cooling plate, a bottom surface of the liquid-cooling plate has a locking structure, and an air-cooling module including a plurality of heat dissipation fins, a top surface of each of the plurality of heat dissipation fins is welded to the bottom surface of the liquid-cooling plate, a bottom of the air-cooling module protrudes into the shielding shell through the opening in the top wall to make thermal contact with a mating connector inserted into the shielding shell, the locking spring pieces engage with the locking structure on the liquid-cooling plate to lock the heat dissipation assembly to the shielding shell. 
   
     
     
         14 . The connector assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the heat dissipation assembly includes a single liquid-cooling module and the air-cooling module is one of a plurality of air-cooling modules, the air-cooling modules are arranged side by side and spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction of the liquid-cooling plate, and when the heat dissipation assembly is locked onto the shielding shell, a plurality of bottoms of the air-cooling modules protrude into a plurality of shielding shells of a plurality of connectors, respectively, to thermally contact a plurality of mating connectors inserted into the shielding shells. 
     
     
         15 . The connector assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of plug pins are formed on a pair of lower sides of the pair of side walls of the shielding shell. 
     
     
         16 . The connector assembly according to  claim 15 , further comprising a circuit board having a plurality of holes, the plug pins are press fit into the holes in the circuit board to fix the shielding shell to the circuit board. 
     
     
         17 . The connector assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the connector includes a terminal holder installed in the shielding shell and a terminal held in the terminal holder, a first end of the terminal is in electrical contact with a mating terminal of the mating connector inserted from the front port of the shielding shell, and a second end of the terminal is exposed from a bottom of the shielding shell for electrical connection to the circuit board. 
     
     
         18 . The connector assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of locking protrusions are disposed on the pair of side walls of the shielding shell, the locking protrusions engage with a plurality of slot holes in an elastic clip of an air-cooling heat sink to install and lock the air-cooling heat sink onto the shielding shell. 
     
     
         19 . A shielding shell, comprising:
 a locking spring piece engaging with a locking structure on a liquid cooling plate of a heat dissipation assembly; and   a locking protrusion engaging with a slot hole in an elastic clip of an air-cooling heat sink, the locking spring piece and the locking protrusion are formed on each of a pair of side walls of the shielding shell, the shielding shell is interchangeably usable with the heat dissipation assembly and the air-cooling heat sink.